Automatic doors are now operating on all Metrorail lines, cutting wait times for Washington, D.C.-area commuters by up to 10 seconds per stop.
Train doors will now open automatically 3-5 seconds after the train stops on the station platform, according to a Monday Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority press release.
Previously, the train operator would have to open their window, stick their head out to verify the doors were opening on the correct side, and then press a button to open the doors — a process that took up to 15 seconds.
“Anyone who uses Metrorail has experienced the wait, standing at the door wondering when the doors will open,” Brian Dwyer, WMATA’s chief operations officer, said in October.
WMATA previously launched automatic doors on the Red Line in December, and on Monday, it was approved to fully operate them on the Blue, Green, Orange, Silver, and Yellow lines after weeks of certifying that operators could use the technology. The changes went into effect on Monday.
“Auto Doors on the Red Line has been very successful with more than 1.3 million safe door openings since launching last year,” WMATA’s CEO Randy Clarke said in a statement. “With Auto Doors, we’ve achieved better schedule consistency and now we’re excited to bring this safety and convenience improvement to all our customers.”
The automatic doors will improve safety as well as efficiency, WMATA said. The technology is meant to eliminate human error and reduce the risk of the train doors opening on the wrong side. Operators will still close the doors manually upon departure to ensure that all passengers have safely entered and exited the train.
The Washington Metro originally used an automatic train operating system, including automatic doors, when it first opened in 1976. That changed in 2009 when two Red Line trains collided due to a faulty track sensor, killing nine and injuring at least 80.
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Metro announced a plan last year to gradually automate portions of the rail system again. The automatic doors are the first step in that process.
“While restoring a previous feature, Auto Doors marks a technological milestone for Metro’s modernization initiatives,” WMATA’s website says.